Diana Buzoianu calls for a state of alert in Sintești and permanent monitoring to stop the illegal burning of waste

Interim Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu on Thursday asked the Ilfov and Bucharest prefectures to declare a state of alert in the Sintești area, which has been affected by the illegal burning of waste. The measure would allow rapid-response mechanisms to be activated, checkpoints to be established and permanent, round-the-clock monitoring to be introduced.

Sintești has four access points, and the minister requested checks on transporters and the route taken by the waste, with the involvement of the police, the Environmental Guard, city halls and local police. Buzoianu also asked the authorities to assign personnel to monitor the area and to verify the financial flows and documents associated with this activity.

The minister says the burning exposes millions of residents of Bucharest and Ilfov to toxic particles every day and claims that networks earning tens of millions of lei annually are behind the phenomenon. She said PM10 emissions resulting from the burning of certain waste can be up to 40 times higher than those produced by burning wood.

At the same time, the Environment Ministry is preparing a draft government decision that would limit to 500 kilograms per year the amount of metals or electronic equipment that an individual may hand over to collectors.